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Remote Observations of Reentering Spacecraft Including the Space Shuttle Orbiter Thomas J

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Remote Observations of Reentering Spacecraft Including the Space Shuttle Orbiter Thomas J Remote Observations of Reentering Spacecraft Including the Space Shuttle Orbiter Thomas J. Horvath ([email protected], 757-864-5236) Melinda F. Cagle ([email protected], 757-864-7211) NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 Jay H.Grinstead ([email protected], 650-604-6639) NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CA 94035 David M. Gibson ([email protected], 240-228-1591) Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 Abstract—Flight measurement is a critical phase in vehicle will experience during launch, sustained cruise development, validation and certification processes of and/or atmospheric reentry. Supporting the development technologies destined for future civilian and military and validation of these analytical and numerical toolsets are operational capabilities. This paper focuses on several recent test data obtained in ground test facilities, such as NASA-sponsored remote observations that have provided hypersonic wind tunnels, shock tubes, and arc jets. As unique engineering and scientific insights of reentry vehicle flight phenomenology and performance that could not specialized as these facilities are, they cannot duplicate all necessarily be obtained with more traditional instrumentation of the pertinent aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic methods such as onboard discrete surface sensors. The processes–even with multiple facilities and judicious missions highlighted include multiple spatially-resolved experiment designs. Ground-based facility limitations infrared observations of the NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter coupled with recent systematic advancements in predictive during hypersonic reentry from 2009 to 2011, and emission capability have led some to forecast a time in the not so spectroscopy of comparatively small-sized sample return distant future where flight vehicles will be designed with an capsules returning from exploration missions. Emphasis has almost exclusive reliance on numerical methods. However, been placed upon identifying the challenges associated with to benchmark, validate and assess the uncertainty of the these remote sensing missions with focus on end-to-end aspects that include the initial science objective, selection of the simulation tools, flight-testing [1-3] of the integrated system appropriate imaging platform and instrumentation suite, will remain the premiere benchmark for the end-to-end target flight path analysis and acquisition strategy, pre-mission vehicle design process. In addition, technologies directed at simulations to optimize sensor configuration, logistics and increasing quantitative data capture per flight are essential communications during the actual observation. Explored are to insuring that the maximum return on investment is collaborative opportunities and technology investments achieved during these flight tests. required to develop a next-generation quantitative imaging system (i.e., an intelligent sensor and platform) with greater Measurements obtained in relevant environments during capability, which could more affordably support cross cutting actual flight are also crucial to monitor and verify civilian and military flight test needs. operational vehicle health, identify and characterize TABLE OF CONTENTS unexpected phenomena and, if necessary, aid in anomaly resolution or risk assessment to the general public and 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................1 environment. Historically, flight measurements employ in- 2. THERMAL IMAGING (SHUTTLE ORBITER) .......2 situ discrete sensors often referred to as Developmental 3. EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY IMAGING (ENTRY Flight Instrumentation (DFI). Naturally, flight VEHICLES) ............................................................3 measurements of this nature come at the expense of added internal weight and complexity to the host vehicle and 4. MISSION PLANNING ELEMENTS .........................4 subsequent cost/schedule risk to the project. DFI weight 5. FUTURE CAPABILITY .......................................10 and cost/risk challenges represent key impediments to 6. SUMMARY........................................................11 collecting useful engineering flight data and why, despite REFERENCES.......................................................11 six trips to Mars, the recent 2012 Mars Science Laboratory BIOGRAPHY ........................................................16 (MSL) mission represented the first time such a spacecraft had been equipped with sensors designed specifically to 1. INTRODUCTION measure the performance of the heatshield during planetary entry, descent and landing (EDL). Until MSL, the lack of The design of high-speed aircraft, spacecraft and weapons quality flight measurement has essentially bound NASA systems is highly dependent on the use of simulation tools into Viking heritage technology and mass constraints for of varying fidelity. Following early trade studies using low- over thirty years [4]. Missed flight measurement to-mid fidelity systems-level simulation tools, high fidelity opportunities have led to a successive line of spacecraft with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are then overly conservative (i.e., heavier, costlier) thermal used to define the aero and aerothermal environment that a protection systems resulting in reduced operational/science U.S. Government work not protected by U.S. copyright 1 capability. safety including launch, reentry and spacecraft demise (orbital debris). This next generation system might evolve NASA flight tests of instrumented spacecraft for earth entry from the large expensive military or civilian platforms used at velocities at or above those required for lunar return have today, towards a smaller, more versatile system such as an been few and were largely flown prior to the Apollo crewed up looking “intelligent sensor payload” integrated and flights – most notably Fire II [5, 6] and Apollo 4 [7, 8]. For optimized into an unmanned aerial system (UAS), or into a atmospheric flight tests where vehicle recovery/reuse is not high altitude airship. In this long-range vision, sensor and a requirement, DFI hardware investments are lost upon platform are integrally connected. Sensor inputs would completion of the mission. When vehicle recovery is permit completely autonomous operations (i.e., no remote required, historical precedence suggests any DFI will be pilot). significantly reduced (or eliminated) when the vehicle is transitioned from a developmental to an operational status. A prime example is the NASA Space Shuttle program. After Space Shuttle Columbia’s five developmental flights were completed, the extensive DFI sensor suite [9] was removed due to cost and weight penalties. The purpose of this paper is to inform the flight test and research community of a maturing, quantitative in-flight measurement approach based upon remote observation and optical instrumentation. While it is acknowledged that in- flight measurements derived from imagery will never completely replace the intrinsic value of traditional DFI, optical-based measurements do offer a complementary or in some cases an alternative opportunity to noninvasively obtain unique and critical flight data without interfering with nominal vehicle operations, weight, performance and project scheduling. If properly monitored, optical emissions Figure 1 – Infrared images of the US Shuttle Orbiter radiating around and from a vehicle during launch or reentry during hypersonic reentry taken by NASA HYTHIRM. because of high temperature gas or high surface temperature (color pallet varied to enhance detail on each flight) can provide insights into propulsion system operations, aerothermodynamic processes of atmospheric cruise or entry and thermal protection system (TPS) performance. To 2. THERMAL IMAGING (SHUTTLE ORBITER) illustrate existing remote observation capability to acquire, analyze and use of imaging for scientific and engineering The NASA Hypersonic Thermodynamic Infrared purposes, the present paper briefly summarizes several Measurements (HYTHIRM) team utilized aerial and ground recent observation campaigns led by the NASA Langley based infrared (IR) imaging systems to infer surface (LaRC) and NASA Ames (ARC) Research Centers. These temperature distributions over the viewable windward observations were- supported by aerial, ground and/or sea- surface of the Shuttle Orbiter during portions of hypersonic based platforms – and they offer a unique opportunity to reentry [10-23]. The in-flight thermal imaging capability, compare and contrast the end-to-end challenges associated discussed herein, represented several years of advocacy with the selection of the appropriate imaging platform and within the aerothermodynamics technical community [24- instrumentation suite selection, knowledge of the spacecraft 38] The genesis of the HYTHIRM project and the use of flight path, pre-mission simulation for optimal sensor optical systems to provide surface temperature was configuration, logistics and communications during the motivated by the Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation actual observation and the data acquisition process. (CAI) [39-40] and the subsequent Return-to-Flight (RTF) effort [41]. Per the recommendation of the CAI board, a The benefits of scientific quality remote observations go suite of engineering tools was developed to determine the well beyond simple photoraphic documentation and include implications of a damaged TPS. A damaged TPS can correlation of critical flight events with
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